Improvement in life-rafts



b druidi %tatt5 minimi (ottica.

DAVID MCFARLANROF NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO A. M. INGERSOLL, OF

BROOKLYN, N. Y.

` Letters Patent No.'11,059, dated December 13, 1870.

, IMPROVEMENT IN .LIFE-RAFTS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Devin McFAnLaND, ofthe cit-y, county, and State ot' New' York, have invented a new and improved Life-Raft; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact `description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing andto the letters ot' reference marked thereon making a partA of this specication.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in life-rafts; and

It consists ina novel construction ot' the same in sections, as hereinafter fully shown and described, whereby the raft is rendered capable of being taken apart, the several sections disconnected one from the other, and the whole stowed away within a small space or compass, so as to inonopolize but comparatively little room on shipboard, and also rendered capable of being put together with the greatestA facility and expedition. p

The dimensions `of an ordinarysized raft fora vessel would be about twenty-two feet long by nine feet wide, and would weigh about onethousand pounds, and, in order to render such raft available forgeneral use, they should be constructed of such material and in such a manner as to be capable of being taken apart in sections, and stowed away within a small space, and, at the same time, when .required for useadmit of being' readlyput together.

.Lhe object of thisinvention is to obtain this result. Y

In the accompanying drawing- Figure l is a plan or top view of my intention', partly in section.

Figure' 2, a longitudinal central section of the same, taken in the line a: fatig. 1.

Figure 3, a transverse section of the saine, taken in the line y y, tig. 1.

, nlar dimensions, nor to any particular number of cylinders, for two or more ot' the latter may he used.

Y The sections a., if made of metal, may he lapped at their edges,'and riveted together lil-e the plates of a steam-boiler, and also soldered or braced, it desired.

The sections are closed water-tigl1t at their ends, and each 'has a central tubular opening, through which a rod, B, passes to secure the several sections together.

,secured firl'nly in contact.

lf the sections a be made. of wood, I design to have. them constructed of staves bound with hoops.

rlhe cylinders are secured at a proper distance apart lby transverse pieces C, the ends of which are fitted between the ends of the sections, and secured in position by the rods B, and cach cylinder terniinates at both ends in a conical head, I), of wood or metal, which are `also secured in position by therods I passing centrally through thcxn. I

These rods -B have iron tips l) inserted in their ends, on which screw-threads are eut to receive nuts c, by screwing up which all part-s ot' the cylinders are fIhc rods B I prefer tohave made of asuitablc hard wood, hence thc necessity ofthe metal lips to receive the nuts. i

E are thwarts, secured to the raft at each side, so that either side may bc used, whichever may turn uppermost after being ca'st or launched from the vessel.

F are slats, secured to the uppcrand lower edges'ot the transverse pieces O.

These slats al'c'attached in such a manner as to be removable.

lo the upper and lower sides of each cylinder there are attached wooden strips d, and to the upper strip d ofeach cylinder there is sccured, by dowels, a wooden bar, c, having rowlocks f attached.

Ihe bars c are designed to be securedto the strips d which are uppermost after the ratt is launched or cast overboard.

The thwarts E have oblong slots g made in them, to receive oars and other articles necessary to be used.

Having thus described my invention,

lVhat I claim as new, and desire toV sccurc by Letters Iatent, is-'- l. The cylinders A A, two or more, composed cach oi a series ot' air and water-tight sections, (t, connected together by a rod, B, provided with screw-nuts c at its ends, substantially as shownnnd described, and

f or the purpose specified. l

2. In combination with the an" Iand water-tight sections a of the cylinders A A, the transverse pieces C, fitted or connected to the cylinders in the manner substantially as and for thc purpose set forth. 3. The detachable bars e, to which the rowlocks j" are securedin combination lwith the fixed strips d on the cylinders A A, arranged substantially as and for 

